A Losing Battle
by The Gold Patronus
Summary: "Goodbye, Draco," Hermione gently whispered. Draco gave her a small node in return, tears swelling in his eyes, still searching her eyes for some hint that she still wanted to be with him. Some hidden rebellion within them, that would let him know she still sheared the feelings he felt so deeply. He searched for some hidden sign behind the hard steel in her features.


**Author's Note: **This is a short one-shot based on Hermione and Draco. Feel free to review and leave any commentary, as it would be greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights go to J.K. Rowling:**

The Great Wizarding War had finally come to an end. The last of the remaining death eaters were being rounded up. All those who had sided with the dark lord, were being punished. None of the after math of the war was good for the Malfoy family. In the end they were better off than the others who had sided with Voldemort, but not by much. While many others who had sided on the wrong side had to spend a life time in Azkaban, Draco's father had only served a short time, while his family had been forced to move into a small apartment, where they were shunned for the part they played in the war. Despite how hated the Malfoy family had become, Draco still found a letter addressed to him, welcoming him back to Hogwarts.

An agreement was made by the ministry of magic, that all Hogwarts students who had graduated would be welcomed back to Hogwarts for one last year, so that they could finish their education 'properly,' giving the students another chance to complete their NEWTs.

This is what brought both Draco and Hermione to Hogwarts for one last year. When Draco arrived, he could find no friends among his fellow Hogwarts students. He was hated for the crimes of his father and his own. Draco was excluded and avoided at all costs. Only Hermione found it within herself to talk to Draco on occasion-though both Ron and Harry didn't understand how Hermione could talk to such a person. The more the two talked, the more both Hermione and Draco felt a warm feeling grow within themselves. Draco found himself talking about Hermione all the time, to anyone that would listen. He even started talking about her in his letters to his parents, which probably wasn't the best idea. Yet the damage had been done, and Draco's parents were anything but grateful for their son's interest in the muggle born girl.

As the months passed by, Hermione soon noticed the hostility in Draco's family, and she knew it was due to their new found relationship. At first Hermione could over look it, but as the threats from Draco's father became worse, Hermione could no longer with stand the guilt that loomed over her. She knew that she was the reason for all the disagreement in the family, and even against what all thought possible, Hermione had grown to love the pure blood wizard and couldn't allow the clash of wills within the family to continue. She couldn't let Draco lose his family because of her; she cared for him to deeply. So when the chance arose, she was going to end all that had happened to them. Their relationship would be no more, even if she had to break her own heart in the process.

* * *

The corridor was dark and empty. The castle was quiet. All students were sound asleep; all but two. Hermione waited in front of a portrait of an aged wizard, who snored loudly in Hermione's ear. She stood in the shadows cast by a suit of armor placed beside the portrait. Her large brown eyes scanned the corridor, watching for the slightest movement. She had asked Draco to meet her here at three in the morning, the least likely of times for anyone to stumble upon them. The year was almost over. A single month remained before they would leave Hogwarts forever. Hermione knew that she had to end things with Draco now. She had to end things before it became too hard for her to do so.

Hermione looked down at her watch just as Draco came around the corner. She couldn't help the small smile that touched her lips when she saw him, the young Slytherin man that she had grown to love. The smile faded just as fast as it came once she remembered what she was about to do.

"Hey Granger," Draco whispered as he approached. "I Think I've had a bad influence on you. Since when do you sneak out of bed?" He gave her a smirk, unaware of the intentions as to why she wanted to talk to him. He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers; Hermione's pulling away was the only thing that stopped it from becoming more.

Hermione closed her eyes for just a second, but it was enough to remember all those times when those lips made her feel her warmest and safest. She remembered the first time she had felt those lips against her own. It had been a cold midmorning in January. The two had been walking back to Hogwarts from their trip to Hogsmeade. Hermione's arm linked in his. It had recently snowed, covering the thin layer of ice below. Unknowing of the ice below, Hermione's foot slipped out from underneath her. She would have landed hard on the ground if it hadn't been for Draco's fast reflexes. Hermione found herself in Draco's arms, looking into his deep eyes, while he looked back into hers. It had happened so quickly, Hermione was almost sure it was a dream, but Draco's lips were on hers, their breath mixing, forgetting about the world around them.

The memory faded, leaving Hermione with a slight chill of memories that would soon be lost, becoming nothing more then what could have been. She looked to Draco's eyes, the same way she had those months ago. She wished she could tell Draco what troubled her just through the look they sheared so that her voice wouldn't betray her as she tried to end it.

"Hi... Draco I think we need to talk," Hermione eventually said, her voice small making Draco lean towards her in order to hear her. Hermione bit her lip unable to continue.

"What's up Granger? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Not this time," her voiced trembled slightly as she spoke, her eyes filling with tears for she truly loved the boy in front of her. Draco's eyebrows knit together as he watched her. It wasn't like Hermione to keep things from him. Over the year the two had been through so much, and they found deep trust in one another. Only something really troubling would keep Hermione from telling him what was on her mind, and Draco knew it.

Draco reached out his hand, cupping Hermione's cheek in one swift movement. She leaned into his palm for a quick second before pulling away. Tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. She looked up to the ceiling to avoid having to look at him, anything to stop her from looking at Draco. She knew that if she were to look at him any longer, even if it was for a second, she would get lost and be unable to end it.

"I... I think... I think we should break up," she got out, her voice cracking on every syllable.

Draco watched her in disbelief, hoping beyond hope that he had heard her incorrectly. "What, Hermione?" He asked in a plea that he hoped would make her reconsider. He grabbed her hand in a hope that he could get her to look at him. Surly her eyes would tell him how she really felt, those dark brown eyes that he had come accustom to reading. He watched as she just shook her head, her gaze still on the ceiling as the first tear gently rolled down her cheek.

"I've got to go." She got out before pulling her hand out of his and turning towards the end of the hall that would quickly take her to the Gryffindor common room.

"Wait!" Draco bagged. Her Heart pounding, Hermione stopped, still facing the direction she wished to escape to. "Is this because of my parents? If it is, please Hermione know that I don't care what they think. I only care about you."

"Draco, I can't stand the guilt of it all. I care too much," she cried, wishing he would let her go. He was only hurting her more by keeping her there.

"I don't care about my parents Hermione, I won't let you go. I'm not letting you slip away again. Please don't give up, not yet," Draco pleaded. He wanted Hermione to see that he cared about her more than anything. He could put up with his father's threats of disowning him. With his mother's sad whimpers as he passed by on the school breaks he spent at his house. He could even put up with the abuse his father placed upon him every time he tried to talk about the mud blood Hermione. As long as Draco had Hermione, he didn't care. It wouldn't be like before when they had started dating, when Draco had been so careless he let Hermione slip away. He had been lucky for a second chance.

The two had been going out for a month when the insults from his fellow Slytherins set in. The Slytherins had mocked Draco for dating a mud blood, telling him that he couldn't get any better now that his family had lost all their money. They would follow him around, whispering into his ear, telling him what a sorry excuse of a pure blood wizard he was. Although the war had ended, the bias in a few of the Slytherins still remained. Draco had begun to believe the hurtful words that were hurled at him. He soon started avoiding Hermione whenever she came by, not realizing that it was only hurting him more to not be with her. Hermione had forgiving him for his mistake, but it hadn't been easy to get another chance from her. Then and there, Draco had decided he wouldn't let Hermione go again, but right now it seemed like a losing battle.

Draco reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand, forcing her to look at him one last time. One last dispirit attempt to show her the love he felt for her. They looked deeply into each other's eyes. Hermione couldn't deny that it hurt her to see the mixture of hurt and deep sadness displayed in Draco's eyes, but it had to end. She couldn't stay with him any longer. She couldn't stand being with him when she knew she was the one driving him away from his family; she cared too much.

"Goodbye, Draco," Hermione gently whispered. Draco gave her a small node in return, tears swelling in his eyes, still searching her eyes for some hint that she still wanted to be with him. Some hidden rebellion within them, that would let him know she still sheared the feelings he felt so deeply. He searched for some hidden sign behind the hard steel in her features.

She didn't give any.


End file.
